Sheriff Matt Dillon: Human or Lawman?
Gunsmoke, starring William Conrad as Sheriff Matt Dillon, was the longest running western radio program ever to air. It is the story of a country that moved west, and the man who moved with it. Matt Dillon's fairness, caring, and stern attitude epitomize the stereotypical old-west lawman.
Matt Dillon's fairness comes through clearly when he deals with a would-be gunman and a man posing as a gunman in "The Lamb" (12-05-53). When the latter was shot by the would-be gunman, Dillon threw the gunman in jail and sent the other man to the doctor. When he found out that the injured man had only been mistaken for a well-known gunman, he sounds very disappointed for both men. He doesn't let the gunman have the reward money that he would have received if the other man had been the outlaw he had mistaken him for and when that man dies, he faces being hanged.
Matt Dillon's caring attitude enables a young woman named Nina Peters to stay in Dodge while her husband has to leave for a while ("Nina" 12-5-53). When her husband returns, he finds out that a couple of ruffians have caused her to have a miscarriage. Dillon allows Mr. Peters to fight one of the men who hurt Nina. Dillon seems almost pleased that Peters was able to beat up the bully and offers to buy him a drink afterward.
Dillon uses a stern manner deal with a couple of ruffians in "Kick Me" (11-26-53). The men had written a false letter of recommendation, telling an old Indian that it would get him a job with the trail herd. In return for getting him kicked out of the camp, the old Kiowa made Indian medicine against him. When one of the men ended up dead, Dillon jumped to the conclusion that the Indian had killed him. He was adamant about his innocence, and the dead man's partner ended up confessing to the killing. Dillon dealt with him accordingly.
When considering the attributes of the Old West lawman, the mind frequently turns to the lawmen made familiar through works of fiction, created for the purposes of entertainment. One specific example of such a fictional depiction of "the lawman" exists in the episodic radio series entitled, "Gunsmoke." In this series, Matt Dillon, the Sheriff of Dodge City, repeatedly exhibits many qualities, which could be labeled as stereotypical. After analyzing several Gunsmoke episodes, and reviewing the analyses of many others, one trait, which seems to be present in Matt Dillon, is that of invincibility. Matt Dillon shoots the "bad guy" but never gets shot. He is always victorious. He always wins. We can see this pattern exemplified in three diverse situations. First, Dillon always wins a face to face gunfight. Secondly, Dillon is victorious even when he is ambushed or unprepared for an attack. And finally, Dillon wins even when no physical violence or gunplay takes place.
The old-west lawman is an American hero and represents the ideals of American society. He is immediately thought of when one contemplates strength of character and other fine qualities. As an irreplaceable part of American tradition, his characteristics are looked upon as a model to all other Americans. Much of what is known about the old-west lawman comes from stories of fiction one of these being the radio program Gunsmoke. Matt Dillon, a U.S. Marshall, plays the lead role in this favorite American radio series. In each episode he beats the odds as he protects his home of Dodge City. Demonstrating the qualities of the old-west lawman, Matt Dillon, of Gunsmoke, is trusting, respectful, and courageous.
From the moment she is born in the cold, heartless prison, Pearl is placed under scrutiny. The townspeople see her as a visible reminder of sin, and it isn't long until even her own mother searches for evil in her. The girl is described as "the scarlet letter in another form; the scarlet letter endowed with life!"(Hawthorne 103). With her fascination from an early age with the scarlet letter, Hester believes that Pearl's very reason for existence is to torment her mother. Hester fails to realize that the letter is just something bright and significant to which Pearl reacts; instead, she sees every glance, every word aimed at the letter, every touch of Pearl's tiny fingers to her bosom as an added torture resulting from her adultery. Hester, considering Pearl's very existence, goes so far as to question if the impish child is even her own. "Thou art not my child! Thou art no Pearl of mine!"(Hawthorne 99) she tells Pearl, only half-jokingly. In her own way, she wonders whether Pearl was sent to her by God or by a demon wishing to cause her pain. She is not alone in this speculation; many of the town's citizens believe there is something of the Devil in Pearl.
Justice, duty, silence, wisdom, bravery, self-reliance, independence, respect; these are all characteristics of the old-west lawman. Matt Dillon, marshal of Dodge City, is just such a lawman. His sense of justice, duty, and wisdom epitomize the stereotypical old-west hero.
The west was filled with various characters ranging from cowboys, bandits, bar owners, and ultimately the law. The different attitudes towards men of authority during the western era can be seen through the national radio show of Gun smoke. The knowledgeable, caring, and just sheriff of Dodge County named Matt Dillon portrays many societal roles as he is faced with perplexing situations. Through three episodes of Gunskmoke, the reoccurring theme is that Matt Dillon is the law, the judge, and often the jury. The rise of the west needed a figure of authority and Matt Dillon was that symbol. He was the first person the lawbreakers saw and also the last they wanted to meet.
Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Mike Fridley knew he wanted to become a negotiator after the day he was dispatched to the scene of an armed homicide suspect.
While observing Matt as a character, he demonstrates that he is a lone wolf, only few people care about him, and he is always treated differently. The text states, “Matt never saw anyone except Celia and, once a month, the doctor.” According to the text, “Matt
In chapter two and three of the book, Matt vehemently demonstrates his longing to make friends and his curiosity in namely one major event. When Steven and Emilia plan on leaving Maria behind because she refuses to leave, Matt shatters the window so he can save María. Steven and Emilia rush back. Matt hastily introduces himself: “My name is Matt. I live here. Do you want to play?” (Farmer 18), but does not get the reaction he wanted. Matt then decides, impulsively, to jump out of the window so he can get to know them better. However, he steps on the broken glass and is seriously injured. This leads to the revelation of Matt as a clone later at the Alacrán estate.
In Nathanial Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne is the main character who commits the sin of adultery and bears a child. Most readers pay attention to Hester because of her sinful act and the hardships she endures. Her hardships are very important, but the fact about how her daughter, Pearl, has to go through them with her is also crucial to the story’s plot. Pearl is a very complex and important aspect to the story. Even though her mother committed a sinful act of adultery, Pearl still looks up to her mother with love and grace. Pearl recognizes characters and their significance in her and her mother’s life. There are some points in the story where Pearl is considered a child of the Devil simply because she is the result of a sin. Pearl continuously finds ways to defy the image of being an evil child. Throughout the story, Pearl illustrates an “elf-like” intelligence and a maturity that children do not normally have. Pearl gives her mother the hope she needs to carry on in her life with her head held high and the ability to wear the scarlet letter, “A”, with confidence.
In the 1950s the radio program, Gunsmoke, starred William Conrad as Marshall Matt Dillon. Gunsmoke was set in Dodge City, Kansas between 1872 and 1885, when the Santa Fe Railroad reached town and when the Texas cattle drives were forced to end by local farmers. Known as the Queen of the Cow Towns, the Wicked Little City, and the Gomorrah of the Plains, this little town had the reputation for being a hostile, lawless town where the fastest gun ruled (Gunsmoke). The character Marshall Matt Dillon was modeled after the real lawmen such as Wyatt Earp (1848-1929) who tamed Dodge City. Dillon was laid-back, tried to avoid conflicts, and was tough when the need arose.
Uncannily intelligent and devilish at times, Pearl also has a peculiar connection with the scarlet letter. She often asks adults such as Hester questions that catch them off guard. She often acts like a little imp, causing trouble and acting in such ways that are looked down upon. Strangest of all, she has an obsessive connection with the scarlet letter “A”. Although Pearl as major of a character as Hester, it seems as though the whole novel revolves around her. After all, she is as close as one can get to a psychic seven year old.
knife duel. He is an example of how disrespect can ruin someone. He was disrespected, his father was
The position that is being argued is that music should stay in schools. This author is making the claim that music makes children excel in their education. This author uses many different sources. The author relies mainly on studies to back up his argument. The article is recent.
There is no way that she could get an abortion and not tell Matt. “I was there too, remember, when we made the baby?”(pg 317) Matt already knew that Kimberly was pregnant, so he would’ve known that she had gotten an abortion, even if she never said anything to him. If Kim got an abortion, and did tell Matt, he would be mad about the fact that she did it without talking to him about it first, but would eventually get over it, because of his love for her. He would persuade Kim to stay with him, and his old fashioned morals about men always taking care of the women would keep Kim from reaching her full potential. If she kept the baby and did tell Matt, then he would convince her to stay with him and that they would be able to raise a family. Kim would once again be limited, and she would not be able to provide her child with the nice life she dreamed of. When she has Jason and doesn’t tell Matt, it allows her to go to Yale, become a doctor, and achieve most, if not all, of her
Is there anything that could justify Deputy Sheriff Fields, the SRO at Spring Valley High School, treating this teenage girl like this?